It's no secret that we're big fans of the Mini. We bought one of the very first Coopers (which we subsequently treated to a John Cooper Works upgrade), then not long after we added to our Mini flotilla with the purchase of an early Cooper S. It's a mark of our affection for them, and much to Harry's fiscal dismay, that we haven't actually managed to sell either of them yet. If you're interested in buying one of them. email us at fastfleet@evo.co.uk

The observant ones among you will have spotted a pattern with our Minis: namely our 100 per cent record for souping them up. No surprises then when I tell you the newest addition to the evo Mini armada is a Cooper S Works.

If you're one of the thousands who've bought a new Mini you'll know how much fun it is choosing the specification of your car. If you're not, click on to www.mini.co.uk and have a play. At ΂£20,000 ours isn't a cheap car, especially given we weren't being totally gratuitous with the specification. As you'd expect, the performance upgrade accounts for a goodly chunk of money, adding ΂£2999 to the Cooper S's ΂£14,705 list price. Though it was tempting, we managed to shun splashing a further ΂£2000 on satnav in favour of an ΂£8.99 AA Road Atlas. Likewise the six-disc CD autochanger as I have a much neater solution on the way.

However, I have to confess we blew an obscene ΂£1180 of BMW's money (this is our first manufacturer-loaned Fast Fleet MINI) on a pair of brand new John Cooper Works sports seats, trimmed in black leather. Justification? Well, the standard seats have always aggravated my fragile back, whereas the JCW items, though surprisingly tight, seem to soothe and support in equal measure. They also look great. Xenon headlights were another extravagance, but as they partially address the MINI's woeful candlepower, it was ΂£350 well spent.

Colour is the fundamental choice to be made with any new car, and a vivid metallic blue was looking favourite, but after much deliberation we went for Pepper White, a no-cost shade. Topped off with a black roof and a pair of black bonnet stripes, I think it looks suitably retro and really seems to stand out. It also looks just like a Mini my father owned in his dim and distant youth. I like that, as it was his memories of tear-arsing around that turned me on to the original Mini's irrepressible spirit.

BMW had kindly put the first 900 miles or so under the S Works' modest 16in rims before it arrived with us, which left only a further couple of hundred miles of self-restraint before we could let rip. To be honest it wasn't that difficult, as the S Works has plenty of low-down urge to work with, and a week or so of high-rev abstention only made the first foray to the red line all the more entertaining. Winding it through third and fourth gear never fails to make me smile.

I know there are still a few MINIsceptics amongst you, those who doubt a car that looks as innocent and non-aggressive can possibly possess truly formidable cross-country pace. Well, all I can say is I'd still back our Cooper S Works against all but the most extreme Spec C-style Impreza in a back-road tussle. A recent visit to some car-nut friends proved this beyond all doubt when we swapped cars for a quick blast: pals in the S Works, me in their tuned Audi RS4. Let's just say every time the big Audi paused to fill its lungs the MINI stole a few car lengths, then a few more through every twist and turn. Suffice to say, though somewhat ashamed at my apparent lack of pace, I was proud of the little white car. So, it would appear, were they: their own Cooper S Works has just arrived...